Catamenial appliance



Apr. 24

l. NEWMAN ET AL CATAMENIAL APPLIANCE n'v VENTORS 'ATTOR/VEY square shaped absorbent Patented Apr. 24-, 1923.

nears STATS HASAEEB ISAAC NEWMAN, IsInon KERNAND MAMIEKERN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

on'rAianNmL APPLIANCE.

' Application filed. November 12, 1921.v Serial No. 514,558.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, IsAAo NEWMAN, Isr- DOR KERN, and MAMIE KERN, all citizens of the United States of America, and residents of New York, county of. Bronx, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gatamenial Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates'to catamenial appliances'and has for its object to. provide means for conveniently and effectively supporting the same in position when worn.

The sanitary napkins of the hitherto used construction, made in form of narrow cushions of absorbent material are generally supported on the body only at their ends. While walking the napkin has a tendency to sway from side to side, as a consequence of which the secretion flows onto the sides of the napkins and on drying rubs against the flesh.

I To obviate this drawback we provide an apron like support of suitable liquid proof material which is provided on its face with pockets for engaging a broad substantially ad and which is so constructed that it can e folded over the lower part of the trunk and the upper part of the legs to form a bifurcated garment, with the pockets, extending downwardly along the inner sides of the limbs and engaging the sides of the absorbent pad whlle the middle part of the latteradapted to be in contact with the vulva is supported on the crotch of the garment. A support of this structure notonly renders the wearing of the absorbent pad comfortable, but prevents the secretion from coming into contact with the flesh if it happens to spread, as the sides are sheathed by the walls of the pockets.

Our invention also consists in the provision of extendible means for fasteningthe folded parts of the apron while worn and also in means for suspending-the apron fro-m the body.

In the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the napkin support or apron folded into the shape of a bifurcated garment and of the means for suspending the apron from the body; Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2-2'of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 9.; Fig. 4 is an inner face plan View of the apron; Fig. 5 is. a crosssection on line 55 of Fig. i showing the napkin engaged in the pockets of the apron; Fig. 6 shows the blanks from which the apron is made; Fig. 7 is a reduced front elevation of the absorbent pad in partly folded position and Fig. 8 is a plan View of the un folded absorbent pad proper.

Referring to the drawing in detail 10 denotes the catamenial absorbent pad, which in the present embodiment of the invention consists of a substantially square cushion 10? of absorbent materialsuch as cotton, and a sheath 10". The latter ismade ofa piece of cheesecloth or the like, about double the length of the cushion and in which a little wider than the latter as shown in Fig. 8, so that it can be folded over the cushion and sheath the latter. The absorbent pad may,"however, be constructed in many other different ways. i

The novel part of our invention resides principally in the means for supporting the absorbent pad in position of use. The same consists of an apron 11 of suitable water proof materialso cut or constructed as to be capable of being folded over the lower part of the trunk and the upper part of the legs as to form a bifurcated garment on the crotch of which the absorbent pad will rest. On the inner face of said apron we provide two lateral longitudinal pockets 12 adapted to engage the sides oft-he absorbent pad 10 and to thus hold the latter against shifting and sheath the sides thereof. The apron may be preferably made from a rectangular piece of material or blank 11 in each end of which are made two parallel incisions 11", 11. Inserted between and stitched to the adjoining edges of each incision is a substantially square flap 11, 11 ofthe same material and of suitable size whereby the apron is given the shape required to enable it to be folded around the body as described. The incisions 11 at one end of the apron and the corresponding flaps 11 are somewhat larger than those at the opposite end so that the part 11 with the larger flaps may it over the seating part of the wearer, while the part 11 (Figs. 6 and 7) will fit over the lower part of the abdomen. Attached to the sides of the rear part 11 are two or more elastic bands 13 having at-their free end buttons 1% while in the sides of the front part 11 are button holes 15 to engage over the trunk as stated and the bands 13 are buttoned to the front part, the apron assumes the shape of a bifurcated garment the part located between the flaps 11 11' forming the crotch 11 (Figs. 2 and 3).

The pockets 12 are formed of the same as or similar material to that of the body portion of the apron and are stitched along their outer and side edges so that the mouths thereof are opposite one another (Fig. f). These pockets are adapted to receive the side portions of the absorbent pad 10 when placed about centrally of the apron as indicated by: dotted lines in Fig. 4, and of which the exposed part is adapted to be brought into contact with the vulva.

The apron when folded around the body of the wearer as described may be supported in position in various ways. According to the present embodiment an abdominal belt 16 of suitable material and construction is used to which may be attached elastic bands 17 at the rear, front and sides which like the bands 13 may be provided with buttons 18 or the lige to engage button holes 19 or the like provided in the rear and front part of the garment.

Elastic bands 13 are used to enable an apron of a standard size to fit different builds and sizes. But, of course, we do not wish to limit ourselves in this respect. Nor do we wish to limit ourselves to the other details described and shown, such as the method of manufacturing of the apron, nor the manner of suspension, since various changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle of our invention.

What We claim is 1. In a support of the character described, the combination with a sanitary pad, of an apron like apparel capable of being folded into a bifurcated garment and having two lateral pockets to receive the sides of the pad, so that when the garment is worn the pad will rest on the crotch thereof and its sides be engaged in the pockets which extend downwardly around the inner sides of the legs of the wearer.

2. In a support of the character described, the combination with a sanitary pad, of an apron like apparel capable of being folded to form a bifurcated garment on the crotch of which said pad is adapted to rest, means for detachably connecting the outer sides of the bifurcated parts of sald garment, pockets on the inner face of said apron adapted to receive the sides of the pad and when the support is applied to the wearer to extend downwardly and laterally of the crotch.

3. In a support of the character described, the combination with a sanitary pad, of a bifurcated unfoldable garment having pockets at the sides of the crotch extending around the inner sides of the forks, the crotch of said garment serving to support the pad and said pockets serving toengage the sides thereof.

4. In a support of the character described,

the combination with a. sanitary pad, of a bifurcated unfoldable and expandible garment having pockets at the sides of the crotch extending around the inner sides of the forks, the crotch of said garment serving to support said pad and said pockets serving toengage the, sides thereof and means for suspending said garment from the body of the wearer.

p 5. In a support of the character described, the combination with a sanitary pad, of an apron like body portion foldable longitudi nally and laterally to form a bifurcated garment, elastic means at the sides of said apron for holding the lower parts of said. garment in fluted shape, longitudinal parallel pockets on the inner face of said apron adapted to receive the sides of the pad and to extend when the garment is worn at the sides of the crotch and downwardly around the inner faces of the limbs of the wearer.

6. In a support of the character described, the combination with a substantially square sanitary pad, of an unfoldable bifurcated garment, the crotch of which is adapted to support said pad, parallel pockets atthe sides of said crotch extending downwardly and adapted to receive the sides of the pad, and a belt having means for suspending said garment from the body of the wearer,

Signed at New York, this 10 day of November, 1921. I

ISAAC NEWMAN. ISIDOR KERN. MAMIE KERN.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH T. MoMAHoN, THELMA BUETTNER. 

